Work Smart Live Smart with Beverly Beuermann-King

I loved reading. I would read between homework assignments, favourite TV shows, or on the bus. I loved to stay awake until the wee hours if the book was enticing enough. That was before children. It seems that for many of us, our daily reading habits center around tweets, Facebook updates, or the ingredients of our morning cereal’ We read on average 5 or less books a year.

I find it difficult to add reading to my long list of daily to-dos. For me, the holidays give me the opportunity to slow down a bit and pick up a good book.

So here are today’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Read A Book Month:

Obvious tip alert – pick a book that you have an interest in. But also pick a book that you have time to read as well. If the book requires your unbroken attention and you have small children running around you or you plan on reading during your lunch hour, this may not be the book for you.

If you like to read, indulge yourself during the down times within your day or during your holidays. Reading can be a great way to regulate the rhythm of your day.

And finally, don’t let reading negatively impact your sleep. Poor sleep habits such as reading late at night or in bed can leave you sleep deprived, foggy-headed and often grumpy.

Looking for more ways to build your resiliency, take my free on-line vulnerability test at worksmartlivesmart.com under the resources and courses tab.

I love Christmas Cards, however the sending of Christmas cards may be becoming extinct. In a world where we are already too busy, the thought of buying, writing, addressing, stamping, sealing and sending cards seems like an overwhelming task.

Just before my oldest son was born, I started a tradition of writing a Christmas newsletter and sending it with my Christmas cards. There have been times when I have thought that I wouldn’t send it out but then someone gives me a comment about looking forward to reading my annual update and seeing the pictures of how the family has changed.

Beverly’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Christmas Card Day:

Christmas cards and letters take time, but I have found the benefits to outweigh the cost. It let’s the receiver know that they are being thought about, which in this day of disconnectedness and isolation is especially important.

Another unexpected benefit of writing these annual newsletters is that I have logged many important family events. I have kept copies for myself and for my sons. They have a record of the special moments from their past.

For more information on coping with mental health issues, sign up for one of my on-line courses at worksmartlivesmart.com under the resources and courses tab.

Are The Holidays A Stressful Time In Your Household?

Are you ready for the holidays’ This is the questions that you hear daily at the grocery store, the post office and in line at the bank? Some people ask because they want to feel like they are not the only ones struggling to get things done before the big day. Others ask because they are concerned about us as we may look a little haggard. Others may just want to gloat about they had in all done in July

Here are my hot tips for building your resiliency and avoiding that stressed-out feeling this holiday season while we Celebrate Stress Free Holiday Preparation Week:

Like many we tend to let our expectations, poor planning, and over-indulgence get in the way of truly enjoying and de-stressing during our ‘down-time’. The key to success in avoiding the ‘festive fizzle’ is to recognize those activities that energize, motivate, and please us, and to delete or change those activities that irritate, disappoint, and anger us.

Get back to basics and simplify to meet these priorities.

Stop often and be in the moment. Far too often the holidays come and go and we missed experiencing the joy connection and spirit of the season.

Looking for more tips to build your resiliency’ Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out. 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In

What do you call a germ who wants to have a good time?

A fungi (fun guy)!

I know that it is not pleasant, but think of yourself as a human petri-dish that grows all kind of icky bacteria and is the warm and cozy home for all kinds of viruses. 

Washing your hands regularly can prevent many flus, flu-like illnesses, common colds, conjunctivitis, , tonsillitis, bronchitis, , pneumonia, Streptococcus, Pneumoccous, TB and more from growing, spreading or from entering your body.

So Here are today’s Hot Tips For Building your resiliency and Celebrating Handwashing Awareness Week:

Henry the Hand says:

Wash your hands when they are dirty and BEFORE eating

Use “Good” hand washing techniques including an adequate amount of soap, rubbing the hands together to create friction and lift the germs from the skin.

DO NOT cough into your hands

DO NOT sneeze into your hands

Above all, DO NOT put your fingers into your eyes, nose or mouth.  These are the only portal of entry into the human body for respiratory infections and washing can reduce your risk significantly

Looking for more tips to build your resiliency’ Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out. 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In

Ever wondered who St. Nicholas was?

There once was a young boy named Nicholas, who was born during the third century. His wealthy parents, who raised him to be a devout Christian, died in an epidemic. Nicholas used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. He was made Bishop of Myra while still a young man. Bishop Nicholas became known throughout the land for his generosity to the those in need.

So Here are today’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating St. Nicholas Day:

We could all stand to be a little more like St. Nicholas.  Here is a boy, whose world dramatically changed when his parents died.  He could have let this beat him down. He could have drowned in self-pity.  Instead, he relied on his faith and did whatever he could to help those who were even less fortunate then himself.  Let’s get good at turning life around and focusing on what we have, and less on what we have lost or don’t have.

Today, we have the image of Santa Clause and we give gifts to the people we know and love.  But what about our giving to those less fortunate then ourselves? We are donating less each year. The average annual amount per donor is less than $500 with the median amount under $150. With the economy the way that it is, the demand within most charities has increased while their donations have decreased.  Make a difference in the lives of someone less fortunate than you.  It doesn’t take a lot to have a huge impact.

In 1998, my youngest son was due to arrive on Christmas Day.  We decided that boy or girl, their name would honour St. Nicholas as he was our blessed gift.  Nickolas arrived safely on December 22.

Don’t forget that you can find more tips for building resiliency, by checking out my Live Smart blog at worksmartlivesmart.com

A hiring manager was preparing for an upcoming interview. The supervisor asked why she had a bathtub brought in for the interviews. "Well," said the manager, "we fill up a bathtub, then we offer the applicant a teaspoon, a teacup, and a bucket and ask them to empty the bathtub." "Oh, I understand," said the supervisor. " A smart person would use the bucket because it's bigger than the spoon or the teacup." "No," said the manager. "A smart hire would pull the plug."

I am not a fan of baths. I am too focused on getting what needs to be done, done and showers achieve this in a much more efficient manner. That being said, enjoying a hot bath, can be a very positive resiliency booster for some.

So Here are today’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Bathtub Party Day:

"Bathtub Party Day" is supposed to be the time to slow down and immerse yourself in a long leisurely bath. It can be a party for one, two or if you have a hot tub, maybe even more.

One site had these recommendations: To enjoy a really good soak, take the ringer off the phone, light a few candles, tune into some favorite music & lock the door. If you want to add a few drops of essential oils to your bath, be sure to wait until the moment you are ready to step into the tub, to ensure the essence doesn’t evaporate before you benefit from it–whether you want the relaxation of lavender or chamomile or the stimulation of rosemary or peppermint. Don’t forget to have a big, fluffy towel ready for you! For after bath skin soothing, while your skin is still damp, apply a favorite body lotion or body oil.

Again, it seems like a lot of work…but the relaxation effects are likely worth it.

Discover how to take small steps towards a healthier, happier, less-stressed you by visiting my website at worksmartlivesmart.com

We take for granted our health and the health of our children.  But what if you are a family that has a child who is facing special challenges? Your child’s health and well-being are always at the forefront of every decision that you make.

Special Kids Day was put together to help families cope during the extra stress of the holidays.

Beverly’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Special Kids Day by showing your support for these special families:

If you are hosting a party:

Invite the family, but don’t be disappointed if they are not able to attend.  The invite alone says that you care and are thinking of them.

Ask if there anything special that you can do to make the party a success for the special needs child’

Have a quiet place for the child and the family to decompress if things become to hectic.

 Provide the gift of time:

You may be able to pick up items that would save a run to the mall or the grocery store for the family.

Provide ready to eat meals for the ‘crazy’ days…the days were it is non-stop appointments or that are especially difficult to cope.

Let them know that you are there for their family.  It can be very isolating and lonely and true friends are hard to come by.  But don’t wait to be asked, as it is hard for many parents of special needs children to reach out and ask for help, at the end of the day the health of our children is the most important thing to a parent.

Want to find more strategies to coping with stress, check out my website at worksmartlivesmart.com

Just over 25 years ago the first text message was sent. Like most inventions, it wasn’t thought that it would really catch on. Who knew that billions of text messages each month would be sent and that it would be a major influencer on the way we communicate?

Convenience, speed and efficiency have turned texting into a primary form of personal communication, and it is very common in business for the same reasons.

While it’s fun and easy to send an abbreviation-filled, emoji-studded message to a friend, the rules are different when texting clients, colleagues and your boss.

Here are today’s Hot Tips For business texting while Celebrating the Anniversary of the First Text Message:

Text only when there is an established business relationship. A text should never be your first contact with a business associate.

If you wouldn’t call after hours, don’t text after hours.

If it is complex, make a call. Anything over two sentences should be an email or call.

Don’t text ANYTHING confidential. This is an electronic record that doesn’t really go away.

Remain professional. Skip the emoji’s and spelling counts.

Reply promptly.

Sign off with a clear departure, such as a thank you

Finally, don’t text and drive. There’s evidence that shows texting-and-driving is actually more dangerous than drinking-and-driving. So while that work text might feel important, it most definitely is not more important than your life.

Looking for more ways to build your resiliency, take my free on-line vulnerability test at worksmartlivesmart.com under the resources and courses tab.

When was the last time you wrote a letter by hand’ We’re quick to email or text our friends, but nothing can replace the joy of receiving a personalized letter in the mail. December is the perfect time to stop what you’re doing and drop a note to a friend or a family member.

Here are my Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Write A Friend Month:

Researchers have found that people with few ties to others had 2 to 5 times the death rate as those who had more ties. Support and connectedness can be a powerful tool in preventing illness by acting as a buffer to the effects of stress. One way to continue building that sense of connection and deeper friendship is to continually communicate and writing allows us to contemplate, ask questions or show appreciation in a very different way than by calling or emailing.

One of my favourite quotes is: Life is to be fortified by many friendships.

It is a shame that for many of us, the more stressful life gets the less connected we become.

Remember your friends. Let them know that they matter. Connect when possible – but don’t leave it up to chance – or time may pass you both by.

Discover how to take small steps towards a healthier, happier, less-stressed you by visiting my website at worksmartlivesmart.com

One bad decision can have devastating effects.

This my family knows only too well as over 20 years ago one young man’s bad decision after work left our brother and sister-in-law dead on the side of the road. Drunk driving, left parents heart-broken, robbed brothers and sisters of the chance to lean on each other, left future nieces and nephews without cousins and impacted this young man’s freedom for the next few years.

But there is a long way to go and much of that work is within my own generation. Many of us grew up not thinking a whole lot about drinking and driving. Where the only goal was not to get caught and get a ticket on the weekend. For some, this is still the goal. They’ll say things like, “I’ll take the back way home”, or “I haven’t had that many”.

Here are today’s Hot Tips For National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Week:

Really, it is one simple tip. Don’t be that person who makes this bad decision.

Assign a designated driver before the night even begins

And Don’t be afraid to address the ‘elephant’ in the room when someone tries to drive after they have been drinking or if you believed they are stoned.

Looking for more ways to build your resiliency, take my free on-line vulnerability test at worksmartlivesmart.com under the resources and courses tab.